


Thanksgiving

by Gwenpools_Aesthetic



Series: WinterDevil/Big Gun Bromance [4]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Thanksgiving Dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenpools_Aesthetic/pseuds/Gwenpools_Aesthetic
Summary: It was cold, and Frank clenched and unclenched his gloved hands nervously by his side as he walked. It was bright. The sun was shining and the sky was painfully blue. It had snowed the night before; a light, feathery snow that dusted the ground and got caught in the freezing wind that blew down between the buildings. It stung his face and he pulled the black scarf he wore higher up around his mouth and nose. Frank wasn’t used to walking down the street at 10 am and he felt exposed.OR: Frank and Karen visit Matt and Bucky for Thanksgiving dinner
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page, James "Bucky" Barnes/Matt Murdock
Series: WinterDevil/Big Gun Bromance [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1447387
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44





	Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the Big Gun Bromance Universe, but you don't need to have read anything else in the series for it to make sense (BUT YOU SHOULD READ THE WHOLE SERIES BECAUSE IT'S FUN!!). All you need to know is that Clint Barton, Frank Castle, and Bucky Barnes live in an apartment together in Bed Stuy. Also, Matt Murdock and Bucky Barnes are a couple. Matt got hurt (because of course he did) and he and Bucky are chilling in Wakanda for a while while he recovers. 
> 
> For those of you reading the series, this takes place somewhere between the mid and post-credit scenes of "I Followed Fires."

It was cold, and Frank clenched and unclenched his gloved hands nervously by his side as he walked. It was bright. The sun was shining and the sky was painfully blue. It had snowed the night before; a light, feathery snow that dusted the ground and got caught in the freezing wind that blew down between the buildings. It stung his face and he pulled the black scarf he wore higher up around his mouth and nose. Frank wasn’t used to walking down the street at 10 am and he felt exposed. 

But it was 9 PM in Wakanda, and they had split the difference. 

Every muscle in Frank’s body was screaming at him to stop, to turn around, to run. He was barely armed, and he was pretty sure he was walking into an ambush. The voices in his head screamed at him, and he had made a habit of listening to those voices.

But this morning he didn’t.

Frank could hear the heels of Karen’s shoes clicking on the sidewalk next to and slightly in front of him, but he didn’t dare look at her. He didn’t look at anything, just kept his feet moving as he stared down at them. He wasn’t sure what would happen if he looked at her, but he knew it wouldn’t be good. He could still hear their conversation from the night before, ringing in his ears:

> _ “It is not a trap.” She stood in front of him, looking down. Her voice was confident and her eyes were kind. She smiled at him gently, as if she were his mother there to chase imagined monsters out from under the bed he was currently sitting on. _
> 
> _ “You don’t know that,” he muttered quietly, already knowing that she was right. _
> 
> _ “You’re being ridiculous. Bucky is your best friend.” Karen unbuttoned her blouse and stepped out of her pencil skirt. “He’s not trying to set you up.” _
> 
> _ She’d been at court that day. She always looked good, but on court days she was truly something else. On those days, Frank was afraid to touch her - afraid that he might leave red handprints on her freshly pressed clothes. No matter how hard he’d scrubbed his hands before reaching out to her, they never quite felt clean. Court days made him feel that even more strongly. She shouldn’t be with someone like him. She was too good for that. She should be with one of those fancy lawyers. Not Murdock or Nelson, of course, they were both spoken for, but another one. There were plenty of lawyers in this damn city. She could be with any of them. Frank was holding her back, keeping her in the dark, staining her with his… _
> 
> _ Karen interrupted his thoughts by climbing onto the bed in her bra and panties and crawling to sit behind him. He wished she wouldn’t; wished she would stay where he could see her. Karen was something good. She was the only thing good in his… _
> 
> _ She ran her fingers through his hair and down to his shoulders, slowly and firmly rubbing small circles into the tense muscles. _
> 
> _ “Curtis is my best friend,” he finally managed to reply.  _
> 
> _ Karen kissed the spot where his ear met his neck, then knelt and began to massage his shoulders and upper back in earnest. “Second best friend, then. A good friend. He likes you.” _
> 
> _ Frank could hear that she was still smiling. _
> 
> _ “He wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.” _
> 
> _ Frank grunted his agreement _
> 
> _ “Then why do you think it’s a trap?” _
> 
> _ “I don’t.” He hated how defensive he sounded, and tried to soften his voice. “Not really. It’s just… Walking through the house of one Avenger and then using magic to get to the palace of another? That doesn’t seem like a thing I should be doing.” _
> 
> _ Karen pushed on Frank’s back gently but insistently until he moved underneath her, lying down on his stomach the way he knew she wanted. She began to dig her thumbs into a knot under his left shoulder blade. “You went to an Avengers’ party and you were fine. What’s changed?” _
> 
> _ “That was my party at my apartment. Ahh!” Frank shouted as Karen dug into the knot hard with her elbow.  _
> 
> _ “Don’t be a baby. And if they were back in New York? Then what? Would that be ok?” _
> 
> _ “Sure. That would be… Uggg… God damn it, Karen.”  _
> 
> _ Karen pushed down harder and Frank squirmed underneath her. “Maybe if you stretched every now and then it wouldn’t get this bad,” she muttered. “You’re so tense all the time. Do some yoga or something.” _
> 
> _ “I mean, I am a wanted felon. I can’t just show up at a Hot Yoga class.” _
> 
> _ “Please.” He could hear the smile in her voice and he warmed with pride. He’d made her smile. If nothing else, he could make her smile.  _
> 
> _ Karen let up on the knot and began to work the rest of his back. “You’re technically dead. Madani hushes up everything you do. Nobody is looking for you.” _
> 
> _ “You sayin’ I’m not wanted?” Frank craned his neck to look back at her with a grin. Karen smiled, pushing on his shoulder to get him to flip over.  _
> 
> _ She climbed up, straddling his hips and placing her hands on his chest. “I said no such thing.” She pressed their lips together, the thumb of her right hand brushing gently back and forth across his nipple. Frank sighed into her mouth, and chased her lips as she pulled away. “But you haven’t answered my question. Would it be better if we were headed to Matt’s place in Hell’s Kitchen? And don’t lie to me, Frank Castle. I may not have magic ears, but I know all your tells.” _
> 
> _ Frank frowned. “I really wish you wouldn’t talk about him when we’re like this, and no. It wouldn’t be different.” _
> 
> _ “So you think Matt’s going to have you arrested?” _
> 
> _ Frank was silent. _
> 
> _ “But why? To what end? He already was your lawyer once, and you blew that. You made him look like an idiot. What reason does he have to watch you go down again?” _
> 
> _ Frank shrugged as best he could while lying on his back. “Maybe because I made him look like an idiot? Take his revenge and all that?” He knew it was stupid. Red wasn’t like that. He wasn’t… _
> 
> _ “You want to know what I think?” Karen asked. _
> 
> _ “Always,” Frank said with a smile. _
> 
> _ “Mmm… Charmer.” Karen leaned down and kissed him again, holding it a bit longer this time before pulling away. “I think that you feel guilty.” _
> 
> _ “Me?” Frank sat up, wrapping his arms around Karen’s waist so she didn’t fall off his lap as he moved. “What’ve I got to feel guilty about? Red’s the damn choir boy always gettin’ in my way. He should feel guilty to me.” _
> 
> _ “And if I know Matt, he probably does.” Karen brought her hands back to his hair, running her fingers across the back of his head. “But you did some stuff too, Frank. I mean, you shot him in the face, tied him to a chimney…” _
> 
> _ Frank pulled Karen closer until she was pressed against his chest and had her long legs wrapped around his waist. “Can we please stop talkin’ about Matt Murdock in the bedroom? It kills the mood.” _
> 
> _ Karen shifted her hips side to side, rubbing up against Frank who was hard beneath her. He gasped. _
> 
> _ “Your mood seems just fine to me,” she said with a grin. _
> 
> _ “Karen, please.” Frank’s voice was thick with want. He began to kiss a line down her neck as he brought his hands up her back to unclasp her bra, then paused momentarily - fingers hovering.  _
> 
> _ She leaned back into him, granting the permission he’d been waiting for, and slid her arms out of the straps as he easily released the hook-and-eyes with one hand. _
> 
> _ Karen paused, staring at him, her lips pinched into a small frown. Frank hated it. He hated that he was the cause of Karen’s sadness, and he hated that he desperately wanted to kiss the frown off of her when he knew that the right thing to do was to disappear from her life and never come back. _
> 
> _ He picked the former, because he was weak and because she was a drug and he was addicted beyond belief.  _
> 
> _ Later that night, after he had kissed her well past breathless and done far more than made her smile, when they both were hazy in their afterglow, she had lifted her head off his chest and stared into his eyes. Her long blonde hair framed her face, lit up like a halo from the streetlights outside, brushing his skin and giving him goosebumps. It was then, and Frank was certain she knew what she was doing because Karen Page was devious and knew how to get what she wanted, she asked him: “Do you trust me?” _
> 
> _ “Of course. With my life.” _
> 
> _ “Then trust me with this, ok? It’s going to be fine. Just relax.” _

Frank stopped when he heard Karen’s footsteps stop. He reached his hand out and forward instinctively, always knowing exactly where she was, still not looking at her, but instead lifting his head to stare up at the large brick mansion in front of them. Sunshine glinted off of the round window embedded in the green roof. 

“It’s crazy,” Karen broke the silence. “Do you know I never even noticed this building before it was pointed out to me? It’s so beautiful, too. I can’t believe I never stopped to see it before.”

“I don’t think we’re meant to,” Frank replied. He’d never seen it either. “Magic and all that.”

“You’re hating this, aren’t you?”

Frank finally turned and looked at Karen. She was smiling, and the sunlight danced on her hair. “I don’t hate you, though.” 

Her smile widened. “Charmer.” She pulled him to her and kissed the crooked bridge of his nose, which was basically the only part of his face not covered by his hat or scarf. “You know, I don’t hate this cold quite so much if it means I can take you anywhere I want without worrying about people recognizing you.”

“Hmm. Let’s just get inside, ok? Get this over with?”

She kissed him again, then turned and pulled him by his hand up the two concrete steps and knocked on the heavy green door. They waited for just a moment, then the door swung open and they were greeted by a man in faded jeans and a loose fitting grey t-shirt. “Please, come in,” Dr. Strange said with a smile that was clearly meant only for Karen. “Ms. Page, Mr. Castle. So very nice to see you again. Did you walk? You must be absolutely frozen. Let me take your coats. You can retrieve them here when you return.”

Frank blinked, suddenly feeling exposed and yet warm all over, as he looked down and realized he was no longer wearing his coat, scarf, or gloves. He spun quickly to see them hung neatly on a coat rack by the door. He blinked again, felt warmth in his hands, and almost dropped the steaming mug he suddenly held. He lifted it to his nose and smelt it. Hot chocolate and…

“Whiskey,” Strange confirmed quietly. 

“That’s quite enough of that,” Frank said, putting the mug down on a side table. 

“Oh, stop it Frank, it’s lovely,” Karen said, sipping her hot chocolate. “Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor.” 

“Please, call me Steven.” He gave Frank a look that made it perfectly clear that only Karen was to be included in that offer.

Frank rolled his eyes as Karen practically swooned, and he picked up his mug and took a gulp. Booze was booze, and he was going to need as much as he could get to get through the day.

“But I’m being terribly rude,” Strange said with a smile. “I’m merely an escort. Please, right this way.” He gestured up the large wooden staircase, and began walking. Karen took Frank’s free hand and they followed. At the top of the stairs they turned right, walking down a dimly lit hallway filled with intricately carved furniture and glass cases containing masks and vases and other artifacts that Frank didn’t even want to try and recognize. Finally, they came into a small room containing three glass doors. Frank’s eyes went wide. Behind one door, he saw a steamy, tropical forest. Behind the second, there was an ocean, crashing against large rocks. Behind the third, a stone hallway. It was this third door that Strange gestured to.

“If you don’t mind, this will take you directly to Princess Shuri’s private lab. I could send you directly to the palace, if you’d prefer, but my energy is invested in three other large spells right now and I’d hate to pull strength away from them you know. Cosmic forces threatening the universe and all that.”

Karen took a sharp breath. “Is everything ok? Do we need to be concerned?” 

“Oh, no nothing to worry about,” Strange said with another small smile, and Frank wanted to punch him right in his smug goatee. “Plus, Bucky and Matt thought you might appreciate a short tour of Wakanda as long as you were there.” 

“Yes, definitely!” Karen grinned. 

Frank grunted. 

Strange opened the door and gestured through. “I have already confirmed that friends are waiting on the other side to show you on your way.”

“Oh,” Karen’s face fell. “You mean you won’t be joining us?”

“Unfortunately not today; important Avenger’s business to attend to. But perhaps,” Strange paused, as if he were considering something deeply important. “I am sure there would be an opportunity not too far in the future to schedule a private tour of my favorite spots in Wakanda.”

“Now listen here,” Frank interrupted.

“For both of you, of course.” Strange turned to him, still smiling, but his eyes were icy cold. “Now off you go. Have a lovely time.” He gestured through the door again. “So good to see both of you. Let’s do it again soon.”

Frank felt the hairs on his arms stand up as he stepped through the door. When he turned around to look back at where he came, there was nothing. The hallway stretched out in front of him into darkness. He turned back to Karen.

“What was that?” she demanded.

“Me? What about you?”

“What about me?” The two started walking down the hallway towards a light at the end.

“Strange was flirting with you which… ok, that’s not your fault exactly, but also you didn’t do anything to stop it either.”

Karen laughed. “Oh he was not. Don’t be a baby.”

Frank grumbled. “He definitely was. And, that’s fine. You’re objectively hot.”

“Objectively?” Karen’s eyes sparkled as she smiled at him.

“But he’s just so weird,” Frank continued, ignoring her, “with the magic and that douchey beard and his weird accent. I don’t think he’s even from New York.”

Karen stopped walking, silent laughter shining in her eyes and wrinkling her nose. She turned and wrapped her arms around Frank’s neck. “I’m thankful for you.”

Frank hummed and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “I’m thankful for you, too. Which is why I’m not gonna to let some B-list backup Avenger throw himself at you without saying somethin’.”

Karen gasped in mock shock. “Steven is not a backup Avenger!”

“Oh, it’s Steven now, is it.  _ Oh Steven. Please, won’t you show us around Wakanda, Steven, _ ” Frank joked, pinching her hip, and Karen squealed. 

There was the sound of a throat clearing behind them and they turned to see a very uncomfortable Peter Parker shifting from foot to foot. “Hey, Ms. Page, Mr. Punisher, Sir. Yeah… as gross as this is and all, I’m supposed to ask you if you’re ready to get going?”

“For the love of god, kid, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?” Frank dropped the arm from around Karen’s waist and took her hand instead. 

Pete smiled. “Yeah, but Matt told me to keep doing it as long as it annoys you, and he pays me so…” He turned and lead them through the tunnel until they arrived in Shuri’s brightly lit lab. “Shuri says she’s very sorry she can’t be here to meet you, too. She got called to the palace on some urgent business. But I can give you a bit of a tour on the way there, and then Matt and Mr. Barnes can show you around tomorrow. That is if you still want to stay?”

“That’s the plan. Thanks, Pete.”

“Thank you, Ms. Page! I know that Matt has been going kind of stir-crazy. It’ll be good for him to see some friends.”

Frank opened his mouth to say something about him and Red not being friends, but Karen silenced him with a tight squeeze of her hand. 

“We’ve really been looking forward to it. And I know Foggy is super jealous that we get to see Wakanda and he doesn’t. But I told him that’s what he gets for going home to visit his family at the holiday like some sort of normal person. Oh!”

Karen stopped mid thought as they stepped out of the mound and into the warm Wakandan night air. It was dark, with only a few lights in the distance, and unfamiliar constellations stretched out across the sky. Frank and Karen stared up at them breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Pete said after a minute. “This place’ll do that to you. Come on. We don’t want to keep the train waiting.”

Pete lead them down a dirt path to a small station. The moon shone brightly enough that it was easy to follow, and Karen and Frank took turns pausing and pointing out various plants and animals along the way. A small train, smaller than a subway car, was waiting for them, and they climbed in. The lights dimmed and then went out completely as they began to move, allowing them to see the countryside out the window. 

“The monorail only runs down to the Mound this time of night if you call for it,” Pete explained. “And then they send whatever size car you need.” 

The train moved fast, and Pete did his best to describe the landmarks in the distance as the foreground passed by in a blur. Frank let the sound of Pete’s voice wash over him, unable to pull his attention away from Karen’s face as she stared out the window. Occasionally they would pass by lights, and she would be momentarily illuminated in an expression of pure joy. He wondered if any of this would have happened if Bucky hadn’t strong-armed him into asking her out a year ago. She and Red were friends. Maybe… But on the other hand, she’d probably be seeing somebody else if they weren’t together - somebody Red wouldn’t be comfortable sharing this part of his life with. And maybe it was vanity, but he felt like she and Red were closer now, too, than they had been when he and Karen had started dating. Coming to parties at Clint’s place - at his place, he corrected himself - seemed to make her more open to Red’s… lifestyle. Although he still thought the mask was fucking weird.  _ No,  _ Frank thought.  _ Karen wouldn’t be here tonight, wouldn’t be making that face, if it wasn’t for him. He couldn’t take all the credit, but he’d helped and that was enough.  _

He smiled and settled back into his seat.

Frank had no clue how far they’d traveled, but within 10 minutes the train was slowing as they reached the edge of the Golden City. There were lights here, and the city was clearly alive and bustling. Karen pressed herself against the window. When they reached the palace, Shuri and Bucky were waiting for them at the entrance. 

“Ah good,” Shuri exclaimed as she embraced Karen. “More white people here to celebrate your colonizer’s holiday in my home.”

Karen’s face fell.   
  
“She’s kidding,” Pete quickly interjected.

Shuri turned to him. “I am absolutely not kidding,” she admonished, “but I am still happy to have you here. The lovers have spent too much time just the two of them. They need some outside social interaction, I think. It’s like they are in some sort of emo competition, each one trying to outdo the other.”

She nodded at Bucky, who bared his teeth at her. “Are you off, then, Princess?” 

“Yes,” Shuri said with a smile. 

“Oh, where are you going?” Karen asked, nervousness still present in her voice.

“She’s coming home to have dinner with me and May and Happy,” Pete answered. 

“I have never had turkey before,” Shuri informed them, as she climbed onto the train. 

The three stood at the door to the palace and watched as the train came to life and moved away, then they turned and Bucky guided them towards the palace “Matt wanted me to tell you he was sorry he couldn’t come and meet you,” he said, as the door slid open in front of them. “He’s makin’ some fancy souffle and said if he walked away it would be destroyed. Plus, don’t say nothin’ cause then he’ll have to prove you wrong, but he still gets tired pretty easy.”

Frank snorted.

Karen gasped as they walked through the doors, and Frank couldn’t help but reach out and grab her hand as he stared around him in disbelief. The Wakandan palace wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen - that honor was reserved for the four-way-tie between Karen the first time he’d kissed her, Maria on their wedding day, and his kids when they’d been born - but it was in a close second. It was all glass and shining metal and rock, melded together to form geometric shapes that seemed both ancient and unbelievably futuristic. Frank supposed the room they entered into was the foyer, inasmuch as a palace was a house. It was a round room, and the ceiling spiraled up into a peak so far away he could hardly see it. He wondered if it was taller than the Empire State Building, and the New Yorker in him hated that he was pretty sure it was. 

Frank caught Bucky staring at him, and he schooled his face into its normal expression of disdain. “Hell of a lot nicer than your other place,” he said, shooting Bucky a shit eating grin.

“Smells a lot better too, it’s less crowded, and I ain’t got to worry about anybody eating my groceries.” 

“Oh that’s real rich coming from you, jackass. You still owe me a gallon of spumoni. Don’t think I forgot how you desecrated that.”

Bucky laughed at that. “Pistachio ice cream is a sin, Frank. And I know a thing or two about sinning; I was raised Catholic.”

“Plus I’m sure you get that nightly lecture from Red. It’s probably a real treat. I hate that I’m missing out on that one.”

Karen glared at him sideways and shook her head no, but Bucky snuggled up closer, took Frank’s arm, and cooed softly in his ear. “You sayin’ you’re interested in the sinning that Matt and I get into on a nightly basis? Because you know I’m down for anything, Frank, long as it’s ok with Karen here. But you’re going to have to start being a lot nicer to Matty before he’s going to consider sharing that particular treat with you.”

Frank shuddered and pushed Bucky away. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

Bucky laughed and guided them towards the elevator. 

“It really is amazing in here,” Karen said as they walked past a pair of intricately carved panther statues.

“It is,” Bucky agreed. “Wakanda is like waking up in one of the science fiction books I read as a kid. You should have seen Matt’s face the first time I brought him in here.” They walked onto the elevator and Bucky pushed the button for his floor. “And he’s still finding new stuff. Just yesterday he told me that the entire great hall is a fractal.”

Frank arched an eyebrow.

“It means that the small parts are the same as the bigger parts,” Karen explained. 

Frank grunted. “What’s Red making, anyway?” he asked.

“The standard,” Bucky replied as the elevator slowed. The doors opened and they walked off into the long hallway. “He may have gone a little overboard, though. Still gettin’ used to having an unlimited food budget.” He pushed his hand on the panel and the door slid open, allowing the scents of pies and turkey, cinnamon and sage, to escape into the hallway. 

“Matt!” Karen was already through the door, enveloping him in a big hug, and Frank couldn’t help but notice how he winced just a little when she squeezed him. “Foggy sends his love. How are we going to eat all of this?” She gestured at the piles of food accumulated on the breakfast bar. 

Matt laughed. “I suppose I may have gotten a bit carried away. You can take home leftovers. Frank?” He held out his hand, and there was a momentary pause before Frank took it and shook it. “I’m glad you could come.”

_ For a lawyer and a human lie detector _ , Frank thought,  _ Matt’s lies weren’t particularly convincing. _

Matt released Frank’s hand and turned back to Bucky with a smile and a small kiss before returning to the kitchen. He opened the largest of the two ovens and peered in, cocking his head to the side, then closed it. “I think the turkey is done, but it still needs to rest for 30 minutes before we can carve it. James, why don’t you pour some drinks and we can start on the appetizers. Karen, can you look at something for me?” 

She walked over and he pulled the oven door open again. “Temperature wise it’s done, but does the skin look ok? Is it crispy enough?” 

“It looks perfect.” She gave Matt another hug, softer this time, and then moved out of his way as he hoisted the large bird out of the oven. And if anybody but Frank saw the tremor in his arm as he did so, they were smart enough not to say anything.

Frank gladly took the whiskey Bucky handed him. “How do you know it’s done?” he asked Matt. 

Matt shrugged and smiled, and if Frank didn’t know better he’d swore that he saw a slight blush form behind Matt’s ears. 

“No shit.” Frank whistled in appreciation. “Inside temperature too? On something as big as a turkey?”

Matt nodded and gratefully took his own whiskey from Bucky. 

“You make steaks?” Frank asked and Matt laughed. 

“Yeah. I can make some steaks for the apartment when we get back. Please,” he indicated the food in front of him as he described it. “Everyone, help yourself. I tried to go local for appetizers and traditional for dinner. We have sort of a Wakandan spin on a cheese tray, with three kinds of cheese, all of which are goat milk from James’s goats, with some roasted dika nuts, pickled carrots, and mango pineapple jam. This,” Matt pointed near a second platter piled high with shrimp and vegetables, “is a traditional appetizer of the river tribes. The shrimp aren’t spicy, exactly, but they’ve got some heat to them. Finally,” he pointed towards a plate piled with purple vegetable rolls, “these are Ozoz Sokoh. They’re supposed to be a symbol of the royalty at your table. It’s fonio, which is a kind of grain, cooked with ground lamb and spices. Then there are fresh carrots, peppers, and cucumbers, and it’s topped with peanut sauce and toasted sesame seeds all rolled up in purple cabbage. You’re supposed to eat it like a taco, but I figured the rolls would be a little easier for us to handle. I hope that’s ok.”

“It’s way too much food,” Karen repeated. “And how many pies did you make?”

“Five,” Matt admitted sheepishly. “But in my defense James eats a lot.”

“No way, pal. Don’t try to put this on me. I told you it was too much!” Bucky wrapped his arm around Matt and pulled him close, their lips brushing together briefly before they separated. “Anyway I’m not worried about the leftovers. You can take some and we’ll keep some here and whatever’s left we’ll take down to my place in the country. The kids don’t believe me when I tell them a blind man is the best cook I’ve ever known; they’ll be excited.”

“I don’t believe it either,” Frank said, picking up a cabbage roll and sniffing it suspiciously. He nibbled cautiously on the end, paused, and then took a larger bite. “Fuck, Red, you make it hard to hate you when you can cook like this.” 

Matt laughed. “Thanks, Frank. I’ll try harder to give you things to hate.”

“See that you do.” Frank almost smiled before thinking better of it.

“Anyway,” Matt continued, as if he sensed the change in Frank’s demeanor which,  _ Fuck,  _ Frank thought, he probably did. “You can’t trust anything this old man says about food anyway. He grew up in the depression and then ate through a feeding tube for 70 years. He wouldn’t know good food if it walked right up to him and bit him on the a…” 

Bucky chucked a wire whisk at Matt’s head. Matt snatched it out of the air and began using it to vigorously wisk the gravy bubbling away on the stove in front of him. 

“Oh no, please continue” Karen said, laughing. She took her loaded plate of food and walked into the living room area. She set the plate down on the coffee table, and plopped herself onto the couch. “Matt, you were telling us where you wanted to bite Bucky?” 

Frank choked on the shrimp he had just shoved into his mouth. “Please don’t,” he said, once he’d recovered from the coughing fit. He took his own plate and joined Karen on the couch. “Why?” he asked, nodding to Matt and Bucky. Matt was still standing at the stove, whisking the gravy. Bucky had moved behind him and was whispering something - Frank was pretty sure something about biting and goddamnit did he not need that particular mental image - into Matt’s ear. “Why do you feel the need to get them started?” 

Karen shrugged and threw back the last of her whiskey. “Because it makes you uncomfortable and that amuses me.” She grinned and kissed Frank gently on his nose. As she pulled back her hair brushed gently against his cheek and Frank shivered. Karen smelled so good - clean and sweet with just a hint of the whiskey lingering on her breath. Frank thought again about how he didn’t deserve any of this. He was torn between getting up and running out of the apartment and out of her life before he could hurt her, and pulling her tight and taking in every inch of her while he could. In the end he just sat there and stared at her, unable to push away the half smile that tugged at his lips. 

The conversation flowed easily after that. Drinks were refilled, and soon Matt was calling them to the table.

“I figure we can do it buffet style, if that’s ok,” he said before they took their seats. He was leaning on the breakfast bar, supporting himself slightly, and Frank thought he looked just a little pale. The appetizers - which looked untouched despite the fact that he was already starting to feel full - had been pushed to the side and the main course now sat where they had been.

Matt continued: “We’ve got turkey, of course, and garlic mashed potatoes, rolls, stuffing, roasted vegetables, and a sweet potato souffle that fell just a little because  _ somebody  _ distracted me while I was taking it out of the oven.”

“It looks beautiful, baby, just like you.” Bucky cupped Matt’s chin and kissed him. “Why don’t you take a seat, let me bring you your food. You did all this work; I wanna feel like I contributed something.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Matt argued, but Frank noticed he sat down at the table anyway. “I slave all day in the kitchen, and then you can sweep in and look like a gentleman just by spending thirty seconds putting together a plate of food?”

“You know me so well,” Bucky teased back, ruffling Matt’s hair. 

“So when do you think you’ll be headed back to New York?” Karen asked once they were seated at the table with overflowing plates. Bucky had handed out a round of Wakandan beers and Frank took a gulp of his. It was good - foamy and yeasty, with just a bit of a sour aftertaste. 

“Probably sometime the first week of December,” Matt answered, managing to sound both tentative and annoyed. “The doctors still want me under observation. It’s two hours of tests a day, plus physical therapy, plus I know they’re monitoring me in here. I’ve told them I’m fine but…”

“Baby,” Bucky interrupted gently. “You had a severe subarachnoid hemorrhage and you shattered your L3 vertebrae. If we were anywhere else, you’d probably never have walked again. Fuck, you might not have even woken up, so let’s just take a breath ok? Everybody just wants you better.”

“I am better,” Matt snapped at him.

“Ok, sure. Then let’s just be sure we keep it that way.” He leaned over towards Matt’s chair and smoothed a piece of hair back off of Matt’s forehead while saying something under his breath. Frank couldn’t make out the words, but he could see the blush that grew from behind Matt’s ears down his neck. 

Matt cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. 

“I’d like to propose a toast,” Karen said, raising her beer. “I am so thankful for all three of you. Matt - you’ve been saving my life since the moment we met. To say I owe you my life is an understatement. And you kept right on doing it, even when I tried to shame you for the part of you that allowed you to save me. You’re a good person, Matt, exactly the way you are, and I’m sorry that my selfishness prevented me from seeing that sooner. Bucky,” she held her drink towards him. “When Matt told me that you two had started dating, I was terrified - and not just because we all thought you were terrifying, which we totally did. Except Jessica but that’s another story for another day. Anyway, I was afraid that you would encourage him to take even more risks. Or, worse, that you would make the same mistake I did and treat him like he was less than the hero he is. And, ok maybe the first fear was a moot point; Matt doesn’t need encouragement to take every risk that comes his way.” Everyone laughed. “But I feel one hundred times better knowing that you’ve got his back, that he has the support of not just the Avengers’ resources and all of this,” she gestured at the palace around them, “but of someone who understands him and loves all the parts of him for who he truly is. And…” she paused, eyes darting to Frank, “if I understand correctly, I’m also thankful that you convinced this man here to give me a chance.”

Bucky blushed and looked down, and Frank wondered if he’d ever shared how Frank had basically bullied him into asking Matt out. 

Karen turned her attention fully to Frank, and he felt himself getting warm. He schooled his expression and looked up, holding her eyes. He took a swig of his beer, daring her to continue.

She smiled at him fondly. “I know you don’t like a fuss, so let me just say I’m thankful for you, Frank Castle. I’m not thankful for the terrible things you’ve been through in your life, but I am thankful that they brought you to me.” She leaned over and kissed him, and he smiled and let her.

“Here here!” Bucky grinned, raising his own beer. Matt and Frank joined him, and they clinked their four beers together in the middle of the table.    


“Eat,” Matt commanded. “Before it starts getting cold.”

They all dug in, and Frank had to admit that everything was really, really good. It had been a long time since he’d had a real Thanksgiving dinner. 

“Oh my god, Matty,” Bucky groaned, mouth full of sweet potato souffle. “What do you put in these? They’re spectacular.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Matt replied. “They’re fifty percent sweet potato, fifty percent sugar, and thirty percent butter.”

“I don’t think that’s how math works, but I’m not complainin’.” Bucky shoved an overflowing forkful into his mouth. 

“I remember when I was a kid, before…” Karen blinked and shook her head, sadness flashing across her face before she forced back the smile. “My mom loved Thanksgiving. We would technically close down the diner, but the entire town knew they were invited. So many people would show up - people who didn’t have anywhere else to go, and people who did but didn’t want to for whatever reason. No questions asked. You showed up on Thanksgiving, you got fed. She was like you, too, Matt. Always too much food. After she died…” Karen bit her lip, and Frank rested a hand on her thigh gently. She turned and smiled at him. “Dad tried that first year she was gone, he did. But everyone felt it. It wasn’t the same. And then the next year…” she trailed off.

“I remember when they tried to change the day Thanksgiving was on,” Bucky said with a laugh, breaking the tension. Everyone turned to stare at him.

“They did what now?” Karen asked.

“Yeah,” Bucky’s eyes sparkled as talked, pausing occasionally to take another bite of food. “It was ‘38, I think. Or Maybe ‘39? Anyway there was no Christmas before Thanksgiving then, ya know? Not like they do it now. The stores didn’t start playin’ Christmas music or settin’ up all their decorations and displays until after Thanksgiving was over, only that year it was going to be too late in the month and we already weren’t spendin’ enough money, so all the stores banded together and talked to President Roosevelt and got him to change it to the third Thursday in the month. It was so confusing. Some people celebrated it one week, some the next, nobody knew what to do. He gave up and changed it back at some point; made it the fourth Thursday in the month instead of the last one, but that doesn’t matter very often. We didn’t do it so big back then, either. Stevie and I never had enough money for a feast, obviously, but I really don’t think it was that big a deal anywhere, even with the folks who had money. Actually, I think the biggest Thanksgiving meal I ever had, before this one of course,” he smiled fondly at Matt, “was when I was at war. They went overboard to make a fuss that one day a year, shippin’ out Turkeys and potatoes and cans and cans of cranberry sauce. I remember one year with the Howlies, there must have been a mixup or somethin’ because we got four cases of cranberry sauce. We hauled that shit around with us for months, and it was heavy, too, but it was sweet so there was no way we were leavin’ it behind.”

“Not a chance,” Matt agreed. “Not with your sweet tooth.”

“Hey, you love my sweet tooth,” Bucky teased. “Don’t you, sugar. You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever…”   
  
“Nope,” Frank interrupted quickly, reaching between them and stealing Bucky’s beer. “Nobody wants to hear the end of that sentence.”

Bucky laughed and got up from the table, grabbing another round of beers for everyone from the fridge. “What about you, Frank,” he asked good naturedly, setting the beers down on the table. “What are you thankful for?”

“Mostly I’m thankful that you two have been out of the apartment savin’ me listening to your mushy sweet-talk and… other stuff that’s much worse than that.”

Bucky and Karen laughed, and Matt choked on his beer.

“Did you have a big Thanksgiving celebration when you were a kid?”

“Oh, yeah.” Frank nodded. “My Nona made a feast. She was convinced everyone was too skinny all the time, and the holidays were her main opportunity to try to fix that. We had the usual stuff, but there were also stuffed olives and lasagna and arrochini, and cannoli along with the pie. Wasn’t ‘til my first Thanksgiving at the seminary that I realized those things weren’t part of a normal Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I’m sorry, what now?” Matt asked, eyebrows arched high over his red glasses. “It wasn’t until when?”

“Oh,” Frank frowned, realizing what he’d said. “It’s nothing.” He took another big bite of food.

“Frank,” Karen prompted him quietly.

He glared at her. “I went to seminary for a few years. It’s no big deal. I thought… but obviously I wasn’t very good at it because then Maria got pregnant and, well…” he trailed off. 

“I had no idea,” Matt said quietly.

“Yeah, well why would you?” The words came out harsher than he had intended.

They sat in silence for a minute, and Frank couldn’t help feeling bad. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I shouldn’t… in your home and after you cooked…”

“It’s ok,” Bucky said gently. 

“Seriously, though,” Frank said, eyes focused on his beer’s label, thumbnail picking at the corner. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. I…” he stuttered, looking up and catching Karen’s eye. She was looking at him fondly. She deserved this. He knew it. Nothing else mattered.

“I never expected to have a family again,” Frank quietly. “I’m sure none of us did, which makes all this even crazier. But Karen,” he looked at her, and her shining eyes made him feel bold. He swallowed hard, and forced the words out. “The way I feel about you… well, I thought that part of me died next to that carousel. You make me try to be a better person every day, just to come close to deservin’ you. Barnes, you’re like a brother to me. You took me in when you rightfully shouldn’t have, and you treat me like I deserve to be treated nice. And Red.” Frank frowned for a minute. “You’re like... that other brother, you know? The one you hate but you’d still kill anyone who fucked with him. I mean, your a jack-ass, but you’re you so I guess that makes it ok?”

Matt laughed. “Thanks man,” he said, holding up his beer. “I think that might just be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Yeah, well don’t go gettin' used to it.” Frank tapped their bottles together and they both drank.

“What about you, Matty?” Bucky asked with a grin. “Seems like you’re the only one not speechafying in here.” 

“Hmm…” Matt thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair. They were all getting full and it was starting to show in the slowed clink of forks and knives on plates. “Well, you all know I’m just a simple country lawyer, not used to giving speeches to important city folk like you…”

“Boo!” Karen shouted jokingly, throwing a roll at him.

He let it bounce off his forehead. “How dare you, madam,” Matt said, clutching his chest in mock indignity. “Can’t you see that I am blind!”

“Ehhh,” Frank groaned, kicking at the base of Matt’s chair. It tipped over backwards slightly, and Matt had to shift quickly to keep from toppling over. He grimaced slightly.

“I’m sorry,” Frank said quickly. “I didn’t… I forgot and…”

“It’s nothing, Frank,” Matt said with a smile. “Honestly, I’m ok.”

Frank nodded, before remembering that Matt couldn’t see the movement, before remembering yet again that it didn’t matter. 

“What Frank said.” Matt spoke seriously now, beer already raised in a toast. “It would be an insult to Maggie, and Stick, and Foggy and his folks to say I never had family, but this is different. Feeling so accepted is… well it’s unexpected.”

“To the unexpected,” Karen echoed. 

They clinked bottles together again, and all leaned back in their chairs.

“Ok, it’s official,” Matt said after a minute. “If I put one more thing into my mouth, I’m pretty sure I’ll explode.” 

“Is that so?” Bucky, asked, arching an eyebrow. He muttered something under his breath, and even sitting right next to him, Frank couldn’t hear what he said.

Matt obviously could, though, and Frank watched as he turned beet red.

“Karen,” Bucky said with a wicked grin. “Why don’t you and Matty go sit down in the living room while Frank and I clear the dishes. We can take our pie out there in a bit.”

“That sounds lovely,” Karen smiled back. She stood and extended an arm to Matt. 

Matt shook his head. “I just need to sit and digest for a moment. I’ll join you in a minute.”

“Mmhmm..” Karen gave him a knowing smirk and walked into the living room. Frank watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sat in one of the arm chairs then curled up, tucking her feet underneath herself. 

“Can I get you another drink?” Bucky called out over the kitchen over the sound of running water and clinking plates.

Karen held up her beer to the light. It was still half full. “Nah, I’m fine!” she replied, taking another sip.

Frank turned to the task at hand, gathering and rinsing off plates and piling them in the kitchen for Bucky to load into the dishwasher. He boxed up the leftovers into containers that Bucky brought down from the cabinets and put everything into the fridge, leaving just the cheese tray and pies out. Every now and then he noticed that Bucky’s lips were moving, but as far as Frank could tell he wasn’t actually saying anything. Frank aggressively did not look when Matt finally stood up and adjusted his pants before moving to sit on the couch across from Karen.

“So, what now?” Bucky asked, elbows deep in a sink full of soapy water. “What time is it anyway?”

“Uh… three-thirty New York time” Frank said, looking at his watch. “So two-thirty am here? You and Red must be dead on your feet.” 

James shook his head. “Matty and I didn’t have regular sleep schedules to begin with, and we sure didn’t make any attempt to adjust to Wakanda time… which isn’t to say we’re still keepin’ New York time either. We just sort of sleep whenever we’re tired and eat when we’re hungry.”

“So what you’re saying is your sleep habits are going to be even worse when you get back?” Karen called out from across the room. “Great. Remind me not to book any big cases for Matt right away. I’d hate for him to fall asleep during the opposition's opening arguments. Again.”

“Oh my God that was one time!” Matt said laughing. “And I wasn’t tired; Haller is SO BORING.”

Frank and Bucky finished the dishes, leaving the big pans soaking for later. Bucky started a pot of coffee, and then they joined Matt and Karen in the living room. Bucky sat on the end of the couch opposite from Matt, then reached out his hand. Matt took it, sliding over and leaning against Bucky’s chest, stretching his legs out on the couch.

“It’s good to see you so happy,” Karen said, smiling at him. “Both of you. This is a nice place you’ve got here.” 

“Thanks,” Bucky said with a bit of a blush. “It’s fancier than I’m used to. I wish I could take you down to the countryside to see where I usually stay when I’m not with Mr. Fancypants here.”

“How dare,” Matt responded. “You know I’d rather be down in the country than under 24-7 monitoring here. Hey!” He sat up a little, looking back at Bucky. “What if we walked down in a bit. You could show them the sun rising between the mountains.”

Bucky considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “You’re not walking that far, baby. Not after being on your feet cooking all day.”

Even from behind his red glasses, it was obvious that Matt was glaring at him. “We’ve been over this before, James. I’m fine. Even the doctors said I can go for a walk if I’m feeling up to it.”

“Yes, but they don’t understand how much you feel the need to push yourself,” Bucky snapped back. 

“Karen,” Matt turned to her, “have you ever pet a baby goat?”

“That’s not fair,” Bucky grumbled.

Karen laughed. “I have never pet a goat, baby or otherwise” she admitted. “Are they soft?”

“Sooo… soft,” Matt played it up, smiling up at Bucky as he continued. “And I have it on good authority that Wakandan goats are just the prettiest goats in the world. Such a shame that you’ll have to miss them…”

“You’ll rest in the hut?” Bucky interrupted. “Promise me that, when we get there, you’ll let me give a tour while you rest?” 

“Cross my heart,” Matt said with a grin.

“Pie first,” Bucky grumbled. 

And that was how Frank found himself walking through Wakanda at four am, holding a travel mug of coffee in one hand, and a reusable grocery bag full of overstuffed tupperware containers in the other.

They took the monorail most of the way, headed down a different line than the one they had come in on, and when they stepped off 25 minutes later Frank could feel that the air was starting to change. It was dark, the moon having set, and Frank was thankful for the electric lantern that Bucky carried. A part of him wondered if they needed to worry about wild animals, but he brushed that thought aside. Matt walked a few steps ahead of the light of the lantern, and Frank was sure he would be able to tell if anything was sneaking up on them. Plus between the three of them, he was confident there wasn’t much they couldn’t protect Karen from. 

They paused after about 15 minutes of walking. “This is the spot,” Matt announced. 

“You sure?” Bucky asked. “I’ve been here 100 times before, but it is darker than normal tonight. I can’t see the tree or anything.”

“Fortunately some of us don’t need to rely on that,” Matt said, and Frank watched as he leaned in and kissed Bucky gently. Frank felt Karen press up softly against his side, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. 

“What now?” he asked.

“Now we wait.” Bucky took off the pack he’d been carrying on his back and pulled out a large blanket. He spread it on the ground and set the lamp down on top of it before sitting down himself. Matt sat next to him and, after pausing a moment, Frank joined them, pulling Karen down onto his lap. 

“Would anyone like a snack?” Bucky asked, pulling containers of food out of his own pack. He opened one that held the remnants of the cheese tray and popped something out of it into his mouth before pushing it towards the center of the blanket.

“You’re ridiculous,” Karen said. “I’m still stuffed.”

Frank didn’t say anything when she absentmindedly reached down and grabbed a handful of roasted nuts.

“It’s starting,” Matt said quietly after a few minutes.

“Nah, it’s too soon, baby,” Bucky answered. 

“It’s absolutely starting,” Matt said. “Turn the lantern off.”

Bucky sighed but obliged, and Frank blinked for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the total blackness. He held Karen tightly in his lap. 

“There,” Matt said, and Frank felt the man’s thumb press gently on his chin, turning his face. He felt Matt’s arm move and repeat the motion with Karen. For a second, he saw nothing, then, ever so faintly, he watched as black mountains appeared against what he realized was a slightly lightening background. The sky was still black, but it was black with almost a pinkish hue, and Frank gasped as streaks of pink and orange shot up from the ground, outlining the mountains, making them look as if they had been doused in kerosene and lit on fire. He felt Karen breathe in sharply as the light spread, outlining trees and grass. Somewhere, far away, a bird called out - rooster like but somehow distinctly different. 

He held Karen tighter, smelling her hair and the grass and the air mix together as they watched the sun rise over the Wakandan mountains. 

Once it was too bright to comfortably stare, they packed up their picnic and walked the rest of the way to Bucky’s hut. True to his word, Matt disappeared inside the hut almost immediately. Bucky took his time showing them around, introducing them to villagers and goats with the same level of enthusiasm. Frank handed the bag of food over to one of the children, who eyed him suspiciously. 

When they returned to the hut, Bucky gave them a brief and quiet tour. It was small - only one room plus the bedroom, and the bedroom door was shut tight. “I’m just going to check on him,” Bucky said as he escorted Frank and Karen back out of the hut. “Won’t be more than a minute.”

Frank walked a few paces next to Karen before taking her hand and running his lips gently across her finger tips.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. 

“Hmmm?”

“This,” she gestured around them. “All of this. If it wasn’t for you… I would have gone my entire life never knowing this existed.”

He pulled her closer, turning her to face him. “Thank you,” he said, fingers brushing down her cheek and tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, his eyes locked completely on hers. “If it wasn’t for you I would have gone my entire life not knowing this existed.”

Karen blushed and tried to look away. Frank cupped her chin gently and lifted it, raising her eyes back to his own. “I mean it, Miss Page,” he said gently. “You’re it for me.” 

“Charmer,” she managed to choke out before his lips were over hers, hungry in ways no Thanksgiving dinner could satisfy. He dragged her even closer, pressing their bodies together, hands greedy against her back and on her hip. Karen gasped slightly, and Frank used the opportunity to lick into her mouth, parting her lips further. His fingertips squeezed into her hip, always cautious of hurting her but needing to be even closer, and she groaned into the touch.

“I hate that we keep meeting like this.” 

Frank and Karen both jumped at the voice behind them, pulling apart and turning quickly.

“I really, really do,” Pete continued, Shuri standing next to him and grinning. “Because, I mean, yuck. But… ummm, do you want us to show you the way back to the train or…?” 

“Oh, umm,” Karen said, flustered, smoothing out her shirt nervously, “Bucky was just checking on Matt. They should be out soon and…” she was cut off by a crashing noise and a loud “FUCK!” from the hut. She looked wide-eyed at first Frank and then Pete.

“Yeah… they’re not coming out for a while,” Pete said with a grimace. “Come on.”

*******

Frank blinked his eyes open, momentarily disoriented and confused as to where he was. The bed was too big and the sheets were too smooth, which were both things he’d never even considered as possibilities. The room was dark, but he could see a beam of bright sunlight streaming in through a crack in the curtains. It shouldn’t be that bright. His body was telling him it was the middle of the night.

That was enough to help him remember.

The science kids had picked them up and taken them on a walking tour of the Golden City before feeding them lunch and returning them back to Bucky’s apartment. Frank had never changed his watch, and it had told him that it was almost 2 am New York time. Karen had suggested they take a nap and he had been all too happy to oblige, laying her out in the bed in Bucky’s guest bedroom and pulling noises out of her that she was too polite to make when they were in either of their apartments - with walls too thin and neighbors too close. 

She was asleep now, soft and sweet and warm, back pressed up against his chest, breathing slow. He untangled himself from her and rolled over, retrieving his watch from the bedside table and squinting at it. It now read 8 am. Which… he did the math quickly in his head counting forwards, meant it was 7 pm here. He carefully rolled out of bed, retrieving his boxers and slipping into them. Bucky had left a pair of sweatpants on the bedside table, and he put those on too. They were a little big on him, but not bad. He relieved himself in the attached bathroom, careful to leave the light off until the door was fully shut and turning it off again before opening it, then snuck out the bedroom door.

“Hey,” Matt said quietly, after Frank had shut the door silently behind him.

Frank grunted. 

“I made coffee; do you want some?” he asked, pulling down a mug and filling it while he was still asking the question. “Black, right?”

Frank grunted again and took the cup, holding it to his lips and taking a sip. It was perfect. Perfect temperature. Perfect roast. Just the right amount of bitter. He stared at Matt, who was standing behind the breakfast bar in the kitchen, looking out into the middle distance, fingers tracing over the pages of a book that was open in front of him. Just the slightest smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.  _ Fucker.  _ “It’s good coffee,” Frank admitted out loud.

Matt grinned. “Thanks, Frank.” 

They were silent for a long time. Frank walked over to the large window and stared down at the city below. He turned back to the room when he heard Matt close his book. “Where’s Bucky?” he asked.

“Gym.”

Frank nodded and finished his coffee. 

“More?” Matt asked.

“Yeah.” Frank walked the mug over and set it down on the counter.

Matt refilled it. “You want some eggs?” he asked. “I can make toast and sausage?”

Frank considered it for a moment. “Yeah,” he finally said, taking a seat on one of the tall stools. “Thanks, Matt.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


__

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you as always for reading! Please let me know you were here by leaving comments or kudos or both! If you haven't consider subscribing to the series so you get additional story updates. Right now I know I have a big Christmas Spectacular that I want to post (including a scene that I have been TRYING to get to since basically chapter 5 of "When Hell Freezes Over" and these dumb boys keep fighting me on), but outside of that I'm not sure what shenanigans should be gotten into. So, if you'd like to see our boys do something dumb, please let me know! 
> 
> #SaveDaredevil  
> (It's not an official hashtag, but #SavePunisher, too!!)


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